Alex Haley
Alex Haley
Alexander Murray Palmer "Alex" Haley was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and aired it in 1977 to a record-breaking audience of 130 million viewers. In the United States the book and miniseries raised the public awareness of African American history and inspired a broad interest in genealogy and family history...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAutobiographer
Date of Birth11 August 1921
CityIthaca, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I travel a lot. It used to be, when I would go to any country, I could guarantee that the first question would establish my name, and the fact that I've written Roots, and the third question, at least no later than the fourth question would not be a question, so much as a statement, something like, "We understand that in America white people do such and such bad things to black people."
When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand.
Beginning writers must appreciate the prerequisites if they hope to become writers. You pay your dues - which takes years.
The anti-blackness has generated new forms of youth involvement in anti-whiteness, which in some cases is appalling.
Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.
When you start about family, about lineage and ancestry, you are talking about every person on earth.
I wasn't going to be one of those people who died wondering what if? I would keep putting my dreams to the test - even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
I don't know anywhere in the world where there is not racism against somebody.
I know that statistically, it has been proven that there is a tremendous amount of black on black crime within the inner cities.
I can't feel Irish to save my soul, but it's a fact.
But then, as far as I know, as far as I've studied or heard or picked up, it seems that this type of thing is a curse against mankind.
In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage- to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.
If you go back to before mankind came out of the cave, there was hatred.
Every time an old person dies, it's like a library burning down.